James a



(No Model.)

J. A. MAHOVOD. RAILWAY OAR- AXLE.

No. 441,014. Patented Nov. 18,1890.

JAMES A. MAHOOD, OF VICTORIA, CANADA.

RAI LWAY-CAR AXLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,014, dated November18, 1890.

Application led March 4, 1890. Serial No. 342,540. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. MAHOOD, of Victoria, a British subject,residing in the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia,Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement inRailway-Car Axles, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention is an improvement in those running-gears of car-trucks inwhich each wheel is attached to a separate axle which, meeting endwisethat of the like axle from the other side of the truck, the two arejournaled in a common bearing in a frame which j extends from and isrigidly attached to the bolster and are held against endwise Contact anddisturbance by means of coupling-yokes that, being bolted on oppositesides of the said axles, engage in collars turned in said axles. Thesebearings are constructed so as to discharge also the functionsofgrease-boxes which resemble those employed for the outer bearings,except that access is had to them, not at the end, but at the side ofthe axles.

The object of dividing the axle into two parts midway of its length isto give each Wheel an independent motion, thereby enabling the wheels onthe outside rail of a curve to travel faster than those on theinnerrail, and thus accomplishing` the greater circumference in the sametime, also removing the risk of breaking an axle from torsional strain;and this invention can be applied to all and any railway-stock now inuse, without the cost of manufacturing new axles or wheels, by simplycutting the axle fairly and smoothly in two, turning a few inches ofthese ends to give a bearing in the journal-boxes, and by anymodification ot arch and tie bars securing the same to any species ofcar-truck or engine, street or other cars.

My construction of j ournal-boxes, arch, and tie-bars serves to carrythe two inner ends of divided axle and to properly secure the same toframe of truck or locomotive, as the case may be, the inner ends of theaxle being turned to tit and have a firm and smooth bearing in theboxes, as fully as the outer ends are supported. These boxes, fittedwith the necessary brasses, wedges, die., have an opening and cover onthe side instead ot at the ends, as those at present in use have for.

with the bearings and load on the outer ends` of the axles outside thewheels, the tendency would be, it the axles were divided in the middle,as above mentioned, for the two inner ends to iiy upward and not to fallto the ground. Consequently when the axles are divided the middlejournals require bearings or brasses only on the top of the axle similarto those at the outer ends. l

My coupling and collars connecting the two half-axles are intended toprevent the Wheels from spreading at a switch-crossing, or any otherinterruption to an unbroken rail, and to make the axle as stronglengthwise as though undivided. They also answer the purpose that anadditional bearing on the under side of the journals would have byholdingV up the inner ends of the axles and preventing them droppingdown from the upper bearing if any n1 omentaryconcussion should givethem a tendency to do so. The coupling, as seen by the drawings, is intwo parts, one above and the other below the middle journal-box andscrewed together at the collars. The axle is turned down where thecollars clasp it to the same diameter as the other journals, and theinside of collars is made slightly larger in di-Y ameter than thesejournals, so that while the axle revolves within them they do not touchit, and there is consequently no friction. As long` as the car isrunning on an unbroken line the coupling will not be called into play,as the journals at the outer and inner ends of the two half-axles willkeep their positions steadily in their bearings, and the necessity forthe couplings can only arise, and then only for a moment, at, possibly,some frog, guardrail, or similar break in the rail. It would then acteffectually, and I consider this coupling a most important part, as Ithink it is entirely novel. The part of the coupling on the upper sideof the axle may be made wide enough to be the covering of the top of thebox.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a partof thisspecification, Figure l is a partly sectional end elevation of arailstruction.

way-truck provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a section in the planeof 1ny compound axle. Fig. 3 is a section of the outer bearing in theplane'of one of the collars. Fig. 4 is a side view of the outer bearing.

Each car-wheel has keyed fast to it aseparate axle 1, which extendsunderneath the car until it nearly touches the corresponding axle, asplainly shown in Fig. 2. Each axle is turned down at a proper distancefrom its .end to form a collar 2 for engagement of the two jaws 3 of acoupling-yoke 4, whicl1,being secured to the central bearing 5, preventsactual contact of the axles with each other and also prevents anylongitudinal separation or shift of said axles. These jaws are clampedto their place upon the collars by screw-bolts 6. The inner extremity ofeach axle is turned down to constitute a journal 7, which bears upwardlyby step or boxing S against the roof of the combined grease and bearingbox 9, which has rigid attachment to the bolster 10 by a truss or bridgeand tiefraine or bracket l l. The form and dimensions ot' the centralbearing are such as to constitute it a grease-box whose door or lid 1'2on the axle side is presented toward the outside end of the truck lso asbe readily accessible. l

The advantages that I claim for this improvement are that a Vcar willrun as easily around a curve or imperfectly-laid track as on a smoothstraight line, thus requiring less engine-power to haul a train on acrooked or badly-laid track; or, in other words,a heavier train can behauled with the same power. Railways can be built with much sharpercurves than are at present admissible, thus reducing very materially theiirst cost of con- The friction on rails being so diminished or removed,their life will be correspondingly longer. Axles will not be broken fromtorsional strains, and a large percentage of accidents is due to brokenaxles. Wheels will be less strained, and rollin g-stock, as well asroad-bed, will suffer less from wear and tear. An axle constructed inthis manner is stronger than an undivided one.

For that form of my invention in which the weight of the upper structurecomes on the inner sides of the wheels the central bearings will beprovided with brasses on their under side, because in such form thetendency of the inner ends of the divided axle will be to press, notupward, as in the present instance, but downward. As, however, thisapplication of my invention requires a number of special adaptivecontrivanccs which I am now testing, I reserve it for subject-matter ofa separate application for patent.

I make no claim to the journalboxes and brasses as journal-boxes andbrasses, nor to the arch and tie-bars, as I am aware that they are notnew, except the difference of the opening on the side for lubricatingpurposes.

I am also aware that the principle of dividing the axle into two for thepurpose of giving independent motions to the wheels has been made known.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The combination of the centrally and transversely divided caraxle l,bearing-box 9, and the two-part coupling-yoke 4, spanning the box andengaging grooves in veach section of the axle, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

2. The coupling-yoke 4, holding securely together the centrally andtransversely divided axle l and having one bearing 8 on upper side ofjournals and securing the same by one set of arch and tiebars l1 to thebolster 10.

3. The combination of bolster l0, bracket 1l, central bearing 9, thebolster two-part coupling-yokei, and the collared and journaled compoundaxle l, as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with a centrally and transversely divided andcentrally-supported caraxle l, of the combined grease-box and centralbearing 9, having its ordinary door or flap l2 on the side of the axle,as set forth.

' JAS. A. MAHOOD.

Witnesses:

W. CHANTRELL MARTIN,

C'Zcrc to U. S. Cons., Fnnnnnio C. ROBERTS.

